By Hanzala Fayaz
A Leicester city councillor will tonight(THU,JAN16) urge colleagues to back a motion labelling the city’s critical shortage of GPs as “unacceptable”.
Councillor Zuffar Haq has proposed a motion highlighting the severity of the problem. Leicester has a 40 per cent child poverty rate, high deprivation levels, and poor health outcomes, with the lack of primary care services pushing vulnerable residents to breaking point.
The motion also highlights the recent closure of a GP surgery in Evington village, which has forced many elderly residents to take a lengthy and impractical combination of four bus journeys to reach their nearest replacement.
The motion notes that this strain on GP services has a knock-on effect across the NHS.
Councillor Haq stated: “Patients unable to access GP care are increasingly relying on ambulance callouts and A&E services, adding to the immense pressures already facing the NHS.”
Leicester’s healthcare system is struggling to cope with these demands, which are contributing to longer waiting times and reduced life expectancy in the city compared to the surrounding county.
The council will vote later today in a council meeting on whether to write to the Secretary of State for Health and NHS England, urging him to take swift action to improve GP services in Leicester.
Should no “constructive action” be taken within eight weeks, Cllr Haq is asking the council to pledge to escalate the matter further at a full council meeting.
This debate comes at a critical time as Leicester’s healthcare challenges grow increasingly dire.
The council hopes its push for reform will bring much needed improvements to GP access across the city.
